One point of contamination that disease experts have been aware of for some time is the computer keyboard in multi-user workstation environments, particularly in patient care areas. The shared use of computers in healthcare environments is on the rise due to many factors, including the growing use of electronic medical records.
A study published in Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology found that out of 25 computers tested in the University of North Carolina Health Care System, every single keyboard was contaminated with at least two types of bacteria. In particular, every keyboard tested positive for coagulase-negative staphylococci or CoNS, which is a major cause of bloodstream infections in hospitalized patients. In addition, 13 other types of bacteria were found, with the most common, after CoNS, being diphtheroids (found on 20 computers, or 80 percent), Micrococcus species (72 percent) and Bacillus species (64 percent).
Data suggests that the microbial contamination of keyboards is prevalent in healthcare settings, and common surfaces such as computer equipment, should be disinfected continuously to reduce the transmission of potentially deadly pathogens.
The challenge with manually cleaning a keyboard is that it must be done accurately and after every use in order to effectively eliminate the equipment as a point of contagion. In a busy environment, missed cleanings and inadequate disinfection are often unavoidable.
Vioguard's solution is an automated system that bathes the keyboard with germicidal ultraviolet light (UV-C). UV-C is a well known disinfectant capable of inactivating harmful microorganisms within seconds.
